Rules Question?

[kleraudio]

So I hit my second shot into the green and my buddy pushes one right of the green under some trees. He needs to hit a punch shot to get to the green.

He hits his punch, it rolls up the green and nails my ball . His ball stops and mine gets smacked off the green and onto the fringe.

What is the ruling here, I imagine its "play it where it lies" but Im not sure....??

Thanks!

Jim

[Zeph]

Your ball is put back where it was, his lies where it ended up.

Source: USGA rules, Ball at rest moved
18-5. By Another Ball

If a ball in play and at rest is moved by another ball in motion after a stroke, the moved ball must be replaced.

Note that if you don't replace the ball, you are playing your ball from the wrong place, which results in a 2-shot penalty in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.

This applies to the entire course, not just the green.

[walk18]

  Zeph said:

Your ball is put back where it was, his lies where it ended up.

Beat me to it.

[kleraudio]

Awesome thanks guys!

Its pretty much impossible to put it exactly where the ball originally was, is this just an approximation then of where the ball was?

[iacas]

  kleraudio said:

Its pretty much impossible to put it exactly where the ball originally was, is this just an approximation then of where the ball was?

Yup. I've attended several PGA Tour events and LPGA events and the caddies and players will ask the crowd if it's in the right place. If it's just you, guess to the best of your abilities.

[jamo]

This actually happened to me in a golf match, match play. I hit my tee shot on a par 3 to 10 feet, then my opponent hits his right on top of mine. His flies about 20 green in front of the green, and mine to the back of the green. I got to replace mine, and the best part was i made the birdie putt. So i won the hole.

[kleraudio]

Thanks for clearing that up guys, Jamo, great story!

Jim

[Shanks A Million]

Last year, at the Canadian open, Leif Olsen made a hole in one off another person's ball.

[msd3075]

I have a question.

Say it's the same situation but you are the guy in the trees and your opponent's ball is on the green. Before you make your shot, is there any way of preventing your opponent from marking his/her ball? Is the choice to mark a ball only up to the person whose ball it is? Can you stop them from marking it?

[Fourputt]

  msd3075 said:

I have a question.

No you can't. Nor can he refuse to lift his ball if you request it. This is covered in Rule 22:

  None said:

22-1. Ball Assisting Play Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that a ball might assist any other player, he may: a. Lift the ball if it is his ball, or b. Have any other ball lifted. A ball lifted under this Rule must be replaced (see Rule 20-3). The ball must not be cleaned, unless it lies on the putting green (see Rule 21). In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball. In stroke play, if the Committee determines that competitors have agreed not to lift a ball that might assist any competitor, they are disqualified. 22-2. Ball Interfering with Play Except when a ball is in motion, if a player considers that another ball might interfere with his play, he may have it lifted. A ball lifted under this Rule must be replaced (see Rule 20-3). The ball must not be cleaned, unless it lies on the putting green (see Rule 21). In stroke play, a player required to lift his ball may play first rather than lift the ball. Note: Except on the putting green, a player may not lift his ball solely because he considers that it might interfere with the play of another player. If a player lifts his ball without being asked to do so, he incurs a penalty of one stroke for a breach of Rule 18-2a, but there is no additional penalty under Rule 22. Penalty for Breach of Rule: Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.